Chemical Processing

The majority of the new biopharmaceuticals and those in development today are produced in complex mammalian cell cultures — typically involving tens of biochemical species and hundreds of biochemical reactions. These biologics such as therapeutic…

Leak detection at large chemical sites can be both difficult and expensive. At one Belgian plant, operators were making twice-daily inspection rounds using portable leak detectors — but new and stricter government regulations required continuous…

The majority of the new biopharmaceuticals and those in development today are produced in complex mammalian cell cultures — typically involving tens of biochemical species and hundreds of biochemical reactions. These biologics such as therapeutic…

Emerson appoints Scott Anderson as president for its Control Techniques business unit.

Emerson appoints Scott Anderson as president for its Control Techniques business unit. Anderson leads the business from its headquarters in the United Kingdom where it employs around 650 people, along with an additional 1,000 employees across 55 locations worldwide.
Scott brings 32 years of Emerson experience to Control Techniques. His most recent leadership positions were in Emerson Process Management, where he spent 14 years as president of Rosemount Flow business unit and two years as president responsible for establishing the Lifecycle Services organization for Emerson Process, Flow Measurement group. Prior to that, he worked within Emerson Industrial Automation for 17 years in sales and marketing positions.
For more information,…

Embrace a variety of strategies that can eliminate hazards from operations

Trevor Kletz was able to simplify the concept of inherent safety in such a way that everyone “gets it.” His mantra “What you don’t have can’t leak” is so clear and powerful that it has grabbed the attention of all stakeholders, including…

Looking back at his project I wondered how he ever could foul it up this badly — at least unintentionally. He’d hired an offshore engineering company half-a-world away to save money. He hadn’t carefully defined the material properties, basic engineering document and drawings (BEDD) or the materials of construction. He sought low-bids for the design instead of time-and-material ones. He never reviewed preliminary drawings with manufacturing. Wow, what a mess. Yet the firm I was working for agreed to pick up the pieces — to build the process — without process engineering hours!
Although these situations seldom work out well, there are ways to minimize the damage to your firm and your reputation. Let’s consider the contract…

The Hydraulic Institute (HI), working as part of the Extended Motor Product Label Initiative (EMPLI) consortium, is collaborating on “Designing a Program for Future Incentives for Energy Efficient Pumps and Pumping Systems,” a new data collection effort.

The Hydraulic Institute (HI), working as part of the Extended Motor Product Label Initiative (EMPLI) consortium, is collaborating on “Designing a Program for Future Incentives for Energy Efficient Pumps and Pumping Systems,” a new data collection effort. Data will support a new voluntary labeling initiative for pumps and extended pump products (defined as the pump, motor, drive and controls). The concept is to reflect the energy savings potential of the equipment as installed in motor and control system applications. The development of an “extended-product label” in combination with the data collected will help form the basis for easily implementable prescriptive rebate programs.
End-user participation in submitting pump and load…

Volkmann, Inc. expands its U.S. headquarters, located in Bristol, PA, to include a 750-square-foot dedicated test facility.

Volkmann, Inc. expands its U.S. headquarters in Bristol, PA to include a 750-square-foot dedicated test facility. The laboratory incorporates a range of the company’s VS Series of vacuum conveyors, including the 200, 250, 350 and 450 receiver models, as well as a variety of feed hoppers and the company’s RNT rip and tip hopper. Two 150 foot runs of 1 ½” and 2 ½” conveying lines are available to simulate real world applications in product transfer, and a 20 foot vertical lift can be added where necessary.
The VS series can simulate conveying conditions for powders, granules, particles, tablets and capsules for customers in the food, pharmaceutical, chemical and coatings industries. A PPCVS 170 unit, built specifically for the…

A new method produces amines that are impractical or even impossible to make via conventional approaches and that hold particular promise for pharmaceuticals, claim its developers at The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, Calif. The technique,…

Researchers in Australia have developed polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membranes for reverse osmosis and nanofiltration that promise to simplify treatment of brackish and sea waters and, thus, save energy. The membranes obviate the need for the…

This Month’s Puzzler
We would like to increase the cooling water flow to a tower condenser (heat exchanger A in Figure 1) from 2,900 gpm to the exchanger nameplate rating of 4,500 gpm. A review of the files shows the heat exchangers and control…

New and cost-effective ways to ensure assets are performing and operational risks are minimized.

If you’ve heard it once you’ve heard it a thousand times -- you can’t manage what you can’t measure. And how can you measure something you can’t easily see? The goal of asset management and the tools of the trade (enterprise asset management software among them) is to enable total visibility – in real time – to all your information so you can run more efficiently and grow more profitable. In a world where human assets are fewer, adopting new approaches to intelligently match limited resources with critical priorities is paramount.
Add to that the fact that the ISO 55000 Asset Management standard published last year by the International Organization for Standardization, Geneva, Switz., sets realistic expectations for asset…

Many chemical makers must defuse a demographic time bomb as veteran engineers and operators approach retirement. Companies are pursuing a variety of strategies to bring replacements up to speed and ensure that a vast wealth of knowledge and…

Many chemical makers must defuse a demographic time bomb as veteran engineers and operators approach retirement. Companies are pursuing a variety of strategies to bring replacements up to speed and ensure that a vast wealth of knowledge and…

Administration calls for updating and simplifying various regulations and guidance documents

With little fanfare, on July 2, 2015, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Council on Environmental Quality issued a memorandum directing…

Administration calls for updating and simplifying various regulations and guidance documents

With little fanfare, on July 2, 2015, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the U.S. Trade Representative, and the Council on Environmental Quality issued a memorandum directing…

Intel Security Technologies will be included in Honeywell’s industrial cyber security solutions for process control.

Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) and Intel Security will collaborate to help bolster protection of critical industrial infrastructure and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Intel Security’s McAfee technologies will be integrated with Honeywell’s Industrial Cyber Security Solutions, providing Honeywell customers with enhanced security software to protect their control systems from malware and misuse.
Honeywell's Industrial Cyber Security Solutions group has a dedicated global team of industrial cyber security experts that provide products, services and technologies to help protect industrial automation and control systems against cyber threats. The collaboration between Intel Security and HPS will combine advances in cyber…

Organizations that take a “felt leadership” approach to process safety management are making strides in the ongoing quest to improve process safety.

The best laid plans are just that – plans. Unless you have someone championing the plans it’s nothing more than a useless exercise. This is true with process safety and unfortunately lives have been lost because of it. To truly improve process safety management (PSM), the responsibility falls to senior executives. It’s a trickle-down effect that at the very least will improve performance and at the utmost will save lives. DuPont calls this “felt leadership” and starts with leaders improving and influencing decision-making across the board.
Once upper management is on board, you can get to the root of accidents. While it’s easy to place blame on operators, you must look at the whole picture not just the last few brush strokes.

On December 1, 2014, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) announced that its “Most Wanted Safety Improvement” is to modernize U.S. process safety management (PSM) regulations. Specifically, the CSB notes implementation of key federal and state…

Embrace a variety of strategies that can eliminate hazards from operations

Trevor Kletz was able to simplify the concept of inherent safety in such a way that everyone “gets it.” His mantra “What you don’t have can’t leak” is so clear and powerful that it has grabbed the attention of all stakeholders, including…

Downloadable software from the DOE can help junior engineers as well as experts.

Recently I spoke at a Chemical Processing Energy Efficiency webinar about valuable software tools offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These tools can be extremely helpful to engineers attempting to improve their plant’s energy…

Downloadable software from the DOE can help junior engineers as well as experts.

Recently I spoke at a Chemical Processing Energy Efficiency webinar about valuable software tools offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These tools can be extremely helpful to engineers attempting to improve their plant’s energy…

Downloadable software from the DOE can help junior engineers as well as experts.

Recently I spoke at a Chemical Processing Energy Efficiency webinar about valuable software tools offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These tools can be extremely helpful to engineers attempting to improve their plant’s energy…

This Month’s Puzzler
We would like to increase the cooling water flow to a tower condenser (heat exchanger A in Figure 1) from 2,900 gpm to the exchanger nameplate rating of 4,500 gpm. A review of the files shows the heat exchangers and control…

Downloadable software from the DOE can help junior engineers as well as experts.

Recently I spoke at a Chemical Processing Energy Efficiency webinar about valuable software tools offered by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). These tools can be extremely helpful to engineers attempting to improve their plant’s energy…

Process Engineering White Papers

The purpose of installing a flowmeter system is to accurately measure flow in a reliable manner. Issues related to physical properties, process parameters, electronic features and interconnections are often given much consideration. Relatively little emphasis, however, is given as to how well the flowmeter will perform its intended purpose. Adding to the confusion are the differences in how performance is expressed and the incomplete nature of the available information. Nevertheless, the quality of flow measurement should be a concern. This Chemical Processing eHandbook takes a look at technologies and solutions affecting flow including:
* Coriolis meters - steps you can take optimize performance when faced with entrained gas
* Magmeters -- why you should consider using them
* How to achieve effective flow control with centrifugal pumps

By understanding the key functions and architecture of a process-oriented, formula based ERP application, you will have a better foundation for choosing a solution that best suits your company and type of manufacturing.

This practical guide and checklist ties the unique operations of chemical manufacturers to specific ERP functionality and architecture. Topics include:

Formula Specifications

Variability and Quality

Product Accountability and Costing

Traceability

IT Maintenance
Don't settle for a "one size fits all" ERP solution. With the "right fit" ERP solution, you will be able to streamline operations, reduce costs and scale production, while complying with federal regulations -- all with minimum customization.

Dependable pH determination in chlor-alkali brine is notoriously difficult. Process conditions and high impedance signals from pH sensors mean maintaining measurement accuracy has been a headache for instrumentation engineers - until now.

Market activity shows that manufacturing in North America and Western Europe won't die soon, but some manufacturers will. The future belongs to the agile, and this white paper is your survival guide. Learn how to implement change, achieve real sustainability and boost profitability for the long run.

The past two years have been a real wakeup call for the industrial automation industry. For the first time ever it has been the target of sophisticated cyber attacks like Stuxnet, Night Dragon and Duqu.

In addition, an unprecedented number of security vulnerabilities have been exposed in industrial control products and regulatory agencies are demanding compliance to complex and confusing regulations. Cyber security has quickly become a serious issue for professionals in the process and critical infrastructure industries.

If you are a process control engineer, an IT professional in a company with an automation division, or a business manager responsible for safety or security, you may be wondering how your organization can get moving on more robust cyber security practices.

In order to provide you with guidance in this area, Tofino Security and exida Consulting LLC have condensed material from numerous industry standards and best practice documents. They also combined experience in assessing the security of dozens of industrial control systems.

The result is an easy-to-follow 7-step process.

Precise process control strategies have accelerated the use of on-line chemical composition analyzers in plant applications. Contaminants in plant samples are the most frequent cause of problems with on-line analyzers. Trace contaminants can rapidly build up and cause instrument failure.

Rock stars get parties, limousines, fame, and dates with supermodels. What do Demand Planners get? Hopefully they may get fewer forecast errors. Learn how you can minimize production schedule changes, eliminate expedited transfers and shipments, reduce stock-outs, and more. Be a star at your company!

Implementation of rapid loss on drying and ash analyzers significantly reduces testing times associated with traditional methods, allowing companies to bring products to market faster, increasing production. These features will aide biomass material manufacturers in maximizing control of the market.

Automation systems today have become warehouses of knowledge and information. Beyond system configuration, years of effort is inevitably invested in them. This paper will discuss a few factors contributing to the automation knowledge crisis, present industry examples, and provide an optimal solution

For years chemicals makers have tracked the health of key equipment yet they still grapple with unplanned outages that can significantly impact financial performance through lost production and extra repair costs. In this Special Report, we'll explore underlying condition monitoring challenges and introduce the concept of condition management -- an enhanced approach that helps companies reap the full benefit from their condition monitoring investments; we'll also discuss how CMMS tools can help to provide a clear understanding of maintenance operations performance as well as provide some guidance on what you can expect from a CMMS vendor. Lastly, listen to the lively discussion between Chemical Processing's Senior Digital Editor,Traci Purdum, and Edgewater Fullscope's Senior Vice President, Russell Smith, as they converse on how ERP can help manage the supply chain.

A complete alarm philosophy document (APD) covers all elements, including design principles, KPIs and escalation policies. Creating an APD to outline these elements is the first step in a successful alarm management project. This paper provides an overview for the essential parts of a complete APD.

In this white paper, we review the new possibilities offered by measurement systems based on polarographic technology. Unlike other systems, polarographic sensors are built directly into the process gas stream, eliminating the need for cumbersome gas sampling and conditioning systems. Further, polarographic sensors require very little maintenance.

Employ key "green" business technologies to reduce paper consumption, as well as comply with key regulations. Discover how Business Process Management and Document Management solutions can significantly slash material costs, while improving user productivity.

Positioned at the core of most supply chains, chemical firms must deal with many challenges to growing profitably -- flat demand, deflationary prices, and emerging competitors to name a few. Both chemicals firms large and small must develop the insight to change and win in today's ever-morphing competitive landscape. This white paper identifies and discusses how chemicals companies can combine data from many sources -- multiple ERP systems, multiple divisions and multiple applications -- maintenance, human capital, CRM, and supply chain to name just a few -- to create a complete or holistic view for critical decisions. Download now.

Whether we are headed toward an economic rebound or continuing with the current economic downturn, specialty chemicals manufacturers should take steps now in order to get or keep a competitive edge. But what steps should specialty chemicals manufacturers take? This Special Report will discuss actionable strategies including: Reducing costs while maintaining quality and compliance; Committing not just to "lean manufacturing" but to "lean supply chain" strategies; Implementing "agile manufacturing" practices.

State Based Control is a plant automation control design based on the principle that all process facilities operate in recognized, definable Process States that represent a
variety of normal and abnormal conditions of the process. State Based Control, implemented with the latest developments in object-based technologies, delivers
direct benefits to its adopters in a variety of Operational Excellence categories. It results in productivity increases, higher asset utilization of both people and process,
automated responses and recovery for abnormal conditions and provides an environment for knowledge capture directly into the control design.

Sure, the process engineer is proud of his HMI (human machine interface) and the operations manager is pleased with his KPI (key performance indicators) dashboard and how effectively the system is running with the implementation of his new MES/MIS solution. The historian and analytic solution get all the credit when a field equipment crisis is averted. Does anyone ever think to thank the lowly driver? Without data, the HMI is just a pretty picture, and the best analytics in the world are only ideas without any basis in fact. Plus, tens or hundreds of thousand dollars are spent on that, while the driver budget isn't even a line item on the spec sheet. The communication arteries and veins reach out to all areas of the field equipment, sending and receiving data, efficiently and tirelessly ensuring the ability to acquire, analyze and adapt to the situations at hand.

The WirelessHART standard provides a robust wireless protocol for the full range of process measurement, control and asset management applications. Based on the proven and familiar HART protocol, it enables users to quickly and easily gain the benefits of wireless technology while maintaining compatibility with existing devices, tools and systems.

Plants across the world are increasingly having to make thedecision to implement wireless technology in their industrial facilities. The right decision enables an infrastructure that provides significant benefits from wire savings to improved operations. Wireless is a complex enabling technology that requires many considerations before broad deployment in an industrial facility.